Claudina's Kitchen Catering & Classes

Grilled Green Garlic, Spring Onion, Fennel, and Asparagus Frittata

Ingredients

• 4 green garlic shoots, top 2” set aside
• 1 medium red spring onion, sliced in ½ lengthwise (with top 2” set aside)
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
• 6 pieces asparagus, ends trimmed
• 6 eggs
• 1 t. salt
• ¼ t. pepper
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ c. grated parmesan reggiano
• ½ c. crumbled sheep’s feta

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• On outdoor grill or panini grill press, grill asparagus and fennel, 4-6 minutes, turning after first 2-3 minutes.  When asparagus is softened but still firm with grill marks apparent remove from heat.  Grill fennel for a few more minutes until soft with apparent grill marks.  Remove from heat.
• Add to grill red spring onion lengths and green garlic.  Grill 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften with some brown spots. Remove from heat.
• Thinly slice onion and garlic.  Slice asparagus into ¼” lengths. Set aside all vegetables to cool.
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk eggs until fully blended.  Add salt, pepper, lemon, parmesan, and feta.  Add vegetables and stir together.
• Place medium saucepan on medium-heat.  Add 1 T. garlic, swirl around pan.  Once pan is fully heated, add egg mixture.  Allow to cook for 5-7 minutes until eggs start to brown around the edges and can be pulled away from the sides of the pan.
• Put pan in oven and cook for 8-12 minutes until eggs are set in the center and top is just beginning to brown.  Remove from oven.
• Mince garlic and onion tops. 
• Slide frittata onto serving plate and cut into slices (4, 6, or 8).  Serve immediately or at room temperature, with minced greens sprinkled on top.
  

Serves: 4-6 people

Related Posts: First Signs of Spring: Green Garlic!

Fennel, Sunchoke & Spinach Frittata with Tomato-Thyme Pesto

Frittatas are my absolutely favorite brunch offering.  They can be easily prepped in advance so that you're not rushing around once company arrives.  And they can be a wonderful showcase for the freshest produce of any season.

This past weekend, I made up a new winter frittata made with fennel, sunchokes, and spinach from the farmer's market, combined with asiago and fresh thyme, topped with a sun-dried tomato pesto.

Ingredients

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 2 medium sunchoke tubers, peeled and thinly sliced
• salt and pepper
• 3 garlic gloves
• 1/4 c. dry white wine
• 1/2 - 1 c. vegetable broth
• 4 cups spinach, rinsed and spun
• 3/4 c. asiago cheese
• 2 T. freshly-minced thyme
• 7 eggs

• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 T. fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 t. sea salt
• 6 sundried tomatoes, re-hydrated with 1/2 c. boiling water
• 2-3 T. extra-virgin olive oil (ideally higher-quality fruity oil)

Preparation

• Heat olive oil at medium-high heat in large skillet.  Add fennel and sunchokes, along with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and sauté for 5-6 minutes until they begin to soften.
• Add garlic cloves and saute for 2-3 minutes longer.
• Add white wine to deglaze pan.
• Once pan is dry add 1/2 c. broth and additional pinch salt and pepper.  Turn heat to low and allow to simmer until sunchokes are fully softened (no longer crunchy), about 10 minutes.  Add additional broth as needed to allow ingredients to remain moist.
• Add spinach and cover for 5 minutes. Stir to incorporate and remove from heat.  Taste and season for salt and pepper.  Allow to cool to room temperature
• Break eggs into medium bowl and whisk until scrambled.  Add asiago cheese and thyme. Add vegetable mixture once cooled and stir to combined.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make sundried tomato pesto: in food processor, puree garlic cloves.  Add thyme leaves, salt and puree.  Add tomatoes and tomato water slowly until pureed.  Add olive oil until mixture is consistency of pesto.
• In medium non-stick skillet with metal handle, heat 1 T. olive oil at med-high heat.  Pour in egg mixture.  Allow to cook for 5-6 minutes until contents begin to set underneath and edges begin to brown.
• Put skillet in oven and allow to cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Middle should not jiggle when you shake pan (be sure to use potholder!) If center is still soft, set oven to broil and bake for additional 3-5 minutes, top should set and develop spots of golden brown color.  Watch carefully to prevent burning.
• Remove from heat and slide onto serving plate.  Cut into 6 wedges, top with sun-dried tomato pesto, and serve.

Serves: 6

Serving Suggestions: To complete your brunch menu, serve with an arugula salad tossed with a red wine-herb vinaigrette and toasted almonds.  And also a refreshing pomegranate-orange mimosa!

Related Posts: Nutty, Delicious Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem Artichokes)

 

 

 

Pumpkin Bread with Fresh Cranberries

This is my favorite fall quick bread -- while the perfect berries for this season are cranberries, this bread is also wonderful with other dried fruit such as cherries or gooseberries.   In addition to the nutritional value of pumpkin and berries, this bread is also very low in sugar and saturated fat, and high in fiber from the whole grains and flax seed...but still tastes great and makes for a wonderful breakfast alternative or afternoon snack.

Ingredients

#1 Ingredients
1 ½-2 cups pumpkin – fresh and pureed OR canned (less pumpkin makes it more bread-like, more makes it moister and more pumpkin-y)
1 egg
½ cup milk
½ cup sugar
1 c. fresh, coarsely chopped cranberries (or 1/2 c. dried cranberries or other dried berries)
1 t. vanilla

#2 Ingredients
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (if unavailable, substitute 1 1/2 cups whole wheat and 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour)
½ cup flax seed meal (can also use wheat germ, oat bran, or substitute another ½ cup whole wheat flour)
2 T baking powder
1 ½ t. cinnamon
½ t. ginger
¼ t. ground cloves
¼ t. nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
½ t. salt

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Mix together wet (#1) and dry (#2) ingredients in separate bowls.
• Combine all ingredients, mixing until just combined (do not overmix).
• Place in oven on center rack. Check crust at 30-35 minutes -- if getting dark, cover with aluminum foil to keep from burning.  Bake for another 10-15 minutes (45-50 minutes in total).
• Bread is ready when a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Related Posts: Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!